Closing the health gap

2019-02-22The Grand Challenge being addressed is Closing the Health Gap, specifically health equity. Health inequities are systematic differences in health that can be avoided by reasonable means, affect social group differences in health, and cause an unfair distribution of health risks and resources (Arcaya, Arcaya, & Subramanian, 2015). Therefore, health equity is the key to understanding the disparities minority populations face in the health care system. Minority populations bear the brunt of social, economic, and racial exclusion when it comes to poor health outcomes (Fong, Lubben, & Barth, 2018). The cost of health inequalities is shocking. According to Arcaya, Arcaya, and Subramanian, (2015) between 2003 and 2006, the direct economic cost of health inequalities based on race or ethnicity in the United States was estimated at $230 billion and research calculated that medical costs faced by African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics were in excess by 30 percent due to racial and ethnic health inequalities, including premature death and preventable illnesses. Consequently, focusing on race and ethnicity allows for an understanding of current health inequalities in a historical and cultural context, which then provides insights into how health differences may have begun. For example, consider the history of slavery and segregation in the United States and how this history sheds light on the current state of racial and ethnic health disparities (Arcaya, Arcaya, & Subramanian, 2015)